Planning Your Summer Vacation?

Are you planning your summer vacation yet?  What are your "requirements" when planning your summer vacation?  Are you looking for total relaxation, adventure, educational, and/or a combination of all of the above?  Or do you just want your toes in the sand at the beach or your hiking boots on climbing new heights or indulging in a new culture overseas?  What's your pleasure?  Does it change every year or are you traditional in your vacation planning?  What gets you excited about planning your summer vacation?

When I was younger, my parents would fly my older brother and I to Ocean City, MD.  That was usually the one and only time we'd ever fly anywhere.  I vaguely remember getting little tiny toy airplanes and other little toys on the plane from the airline no less!  And, I remember my dad would just drive up to any hotel that we thought looked good, go in to see if there were any rooms available and then if he came out with a smile on his face and keys in his hand we knew we had a room for the night...or for the rest of our vacation.  We would spend a day at the beach building sand castles and picking up sea shells, and I remember having bags of sea shells in our attic at home after collecting so many shells over the years.  My dad and brother would go out fishing one day while my mom and I would shop along the boardwalk.  My dad caught a blue marlin one year, had it stuffed and it hung in our kitchen.  It was a beautiful fish!  We had a lot of great memories during all of those beach summer vacations!

Our days of going to the same place every year (or almost every year) ended after we moved to Texas.  It was just one of those shifts in how we did a lot of things differently after we moved.  We went to a lot of different places more for educational reasons, but also to just explore.  My parents always liked to explore...whether close to home or not.  Plus, we had the twins now so every place we went we were driving.  A lot of fun and long road trips!

So whatever summer vacation plans you may be making, I hope they bring you joy, relaxation, adventure and a ton of fond memories!  That's what it's all about!  Blessings to you and your family for a happy and safe final week of April!!